Apparatus for cleaning cotton.



1-. N. BROW'N; APPARATUS FOR CLEANING COTTON. APPLICATION IILEI) JUNE 18, 1912.

Patented Apr. 15, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

T. N. BROWN.

APPARATUS FOR CLEANING COTTON.

APPLICATION rum: JUNE 12:, 1912.

1,059,270. Patented Apr. 15, 1913.

2 SHEETS-"SHEET Z 'rnonras it...-nno'wu, on ancnsnono, sexes.

APIAE%IUH iron GLEANINQ content osaevo.

l Ilpcclflcatton of Letters Patent, v, Patented Apr, 15, 1913,

Application filed June .18, 19153. hermit Ho. mines.

lie all whom it mag/concern;

Be it known that Lflt rdtias N. BROWN, a citizen of the United gtates residing et Jackshoro in the countyot' Jack and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for CleaningllCotton; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description. of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomakeand use the some.

The present inventionrclates to apparatus for cleaning'cotton preparatory to its treatment by the ginning process, andhas for its purpose to provide an arrangement whereby the burs, or other foreign matter., are separated from the seed cotton by a suctiohprocess.

The invention further contemplates an apparatus. oiitho character in question which may be used independently for treating the matter in bulk, or in connection with either pneumatic or belt gin distributors, where such systems are installed.

. Another objectof the inventionisto pro duce an apparatus which employs a mini mum number of parts to the end of simplicity in construction and cheapness of manufacture; and wherein said parts cooperate in an effective manner forscperating the seed cotton from all extraneous matter in a manner more thorough than heretofore obtained,

With. these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel. details of construction EIIId CUXHlJiIIZI'lIlIlllI-J of parts more fully hereinafter disclosed ohd particularly pointed out in the claims... v

Referring to the accompanying drawings forming a part ot'this specification in which like numerals designate like parts in all the vieWs:-F1g'ure 1 1s a transverse sectional view, with parts in elevation, of the appa ratus complete; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of one of the drums.and its associated mechan sm; Fig. 3 114 an cndelevat onal View illustrating the means for regulating" the sta; tidnary spikes, and showing in'brolten lines the cooperating spiked drum; Fig. {l isa detail perspective view the suction con" trollim device; and Fig. 5 is a view corresponding with Fig. 1 of the modified construction. I

Referring to the conetruetionin detail, 1 designates a suitahlecasing or boxinghtwing or openin 52 therein, through which the i:r... .ter.;il is fed for the separating operation,

and 3 is a fan comnmnicating with said casing by a pipe 4 at the end opposite the feeding opening. A. grate 5 is iorizontally dis posed and secured within the cnsin near the top thereof, and provides a lateral chemo not or passageway 6 through which clean cotton passes under the influence of suction created by the fan 3, as will be understood. 66 At its forward end the fixed grate 5 has. hirigedly mounted thereon agate 7, which is manually controlled through the medium.

of acord or chain 8 passing over a pulley.

9. Said gate 7. is adapted to offer an. ob structing barrier to the passage 6, or be removed therefrom accordingly as thcwna' terial to be treated is clean. or dirty as will be fully explained hereinafter.

The cotton is fed through the opening 2, and if it be clean cotton the gate 7 is low cred to rcstupon the shelf 10 of the casing, as indicated in broken lines in Fig. 1, and the cotton sucked directly throughthe passageway (5 andinto the iccciving chum-- her ll, and in the course of which dust or other foreign matter drops through the- .grote 5 and into the receiving chamber 12, from where it is delivered into the trou h 13 by the rotary feeder 151-, and from t e trough 13 said material carried off by a Worm feeder or conveyor 15. The cotton, which has been delivered into the chant. ber 11, is thence carried by a rotatable drum 16, having spikes 1.7 on the periphery there 99 of, to the belt convevor t8 and is carried cit. A screen 1.) shaped to the contour. of the drum 16 is disposed immediately beneath said. drum and affords the necessary sup ortin u surface for the cotton which is be- '95 mg carritui'froni the chamber 11. to the 0011 veyer 18. Said screen further serves to permit of the separation of any dust, or other dirt, remaining in the cotton, such dirt falling into the funnel 220 and passinglGO oil through the funnel pipe 521. The screen l9 passesup "urrlly and is disposed over the drum 150 and separates the passageway 6 and receiving chamber .11 from the com pertinent with which the funnel piped 10. communicates, wlun'eby to prevent the passsage of the cotton into said comaartment it 22, but to allow of free )assage o the air, as will he understood. I", however, the cot ton is very dirty, or full of bolls, or burs,'110

the gate 7 is raised into that position shown in Fig. 1, wherein it interrupts the passage 6 and allows that direction indicated by the arrow. The

drums and 27 chamber 12, from material is carriedbysaid spiked drum past a plurality of cotiperating and'stationary teeth 26, and is thence delivered 'to a second and similar drum 27, having the spikes or teeth 28. The drum 27 rotates in the direction counter to that of the drum 25, as indicated by the arrow, and a-plurality of stationary'teeth 29 are located beneath said drum 27 and communicate with theteeth thereof. as with the teeth 24 and 26. This treatment of the cotton causes the dirt, dust, etc, to drop through the lobed grates 30 and 31, disposed respectively beneath the and into the 'receiving where it is forwarded by therotary feeder 14 to the trough 13, and then carried off by the screw conveyer 15. The cotton passes from the second drum 27 to a third drum 32, having spikes 33, which rotates clockwise, and said material'is then thrown up over the lobed section 5" of the grate 5, whence it finds its way by suction into the chamber 11. The residue falls into 4 the throat 34,"provided by the partition and 36, and is thence conveyed 'ss' conveyer 1o.

, by'the rotary feeder 14 to be carriedoif by the spiral Whether treating clean cotton or dirty cotton, the material collected within the chamber 11 is forwarded by the rotary drum 16 to the conveyer 18 inuniform quantity,

and to the end that such quantities may be keptpositive and uniform at all times an;

automatic control is provided. To'this end an arcuate plate 37 is hingedly' mounted to the casing at 38, and is connected to an arm 39,.which in turn is connected by a cord 40 with a throttle valve 41 mounted with-iii the pipe 4. The normal position of the con I trolling plate 37 is determined by a pair of 1 ins, 42 secured to the plate shaft 38 .is journaled. By thus providing the plate 37 immediately over they conveyer 18 it will be clear that any accumulation of the material at this l'ocathe passageway 6 an anism to normal.

'tion, which would otherwise cause themechanism to be choked, will=act by pressing against the plate 37 to closethe valve 41, and thereby lower the sucking action within dchamber 11. And when the excess of-material is carried off by the conveyer'18, said plate 37 will drop by gravity and permit the valve 41 to-open and thus restore the-operation of the mech Thestation'ary teeth 26 and '29 which coan 28, whereby obtain a greater or less Fig. 1, the material is fe the lugs 43, within which,

operate with the spiked cylinders ,25 and 2"!v respectively are adapted for adjustment, to the end of disposing the, same at dilferent an les with respect to the moving teeth 24 tearing action with said teeth, as deslredn To this end,' said stationary teeth are fixed in rows or series on shafts 42 (see Figs. 2 and 3) that are. journaled on the sides of the casing, 1. Each shaft 42 isfitted on one end with a pinion 43,- which, by means 'of intermediate pinionsl44, are rotated through a crank 45, that is mounted on the shaft of one of the end pinions. ing the crank 45, the several teeth or spikes 26 may be adjusted todiflerent angles relatively to their cooperatingteeth or spikes 24 and "28.

By having the passagewa or throat 34 partly surrounding the thir drum 32, and having metal arms or blades with strips of heavy canvas, rubber or leather, which act as-valves, instead of the spikes 33, said I drummay-then' serve in place of the rotary feeder 1 4. I x

The modified construction in ,Fig. 5' is designed for use where a plan-is already installed and is equipped with an air 'distributer, and when so applied the casing 46 communicates directly with the pipe 47 leading to said distributer, and said casing would be locatedin the length of the conduit betweenthe stand and wagon' teles sco e. As in the arran ement shown in tothe casing 46 through the opening 2 and, de ending upon the condition; of the materia is in its raised or lowered position as-required. Ifthe material be clean and the gate 7 lowered, said material will be car-, ried through the passageway 6' grate 5 and through the pipe 47. If,-on the other hand, themateria be very dirty, or full of bolls, or burs, it asses through the neck 23 and is acted on y the teeth'off the rotary drums 25 and 27 with the stationary teeth, asin the manner above explained, and is finally acted on by the teeth of the third drum 32, which throws the free cotton up through the lobed grate section 5*, and the final residue passeswthrough the throat 34 and into the trough 13, from where it is carried 91f :by the spiral 'conveyer,15.- suchforeign matter as is sepa- 1 rated from the material by the action of the first and second drums and the fixed teeth or spikesv 26 and 29 passes through 'the grate sections 30 and 31into the accumulating chamber 12, whence it finally passes throughthe constricted opening 48 into the trough 13.

The construction of the apparatus shown in Fig. 5 .is also capable of being used in installed systems employing distributers of 1 With this I arrangement, it will be seen that in turnthe gate7' above the the belt type, as in this construction the material passes from the apparatus into the vacuum box.

It is obvious that those skilled in the art may vary the details of construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention, and therefore I do not wish to be limited to such teas tures except as may be required by the .traneous matter and the separated cotton from the casing, substantially as described.

2. In a cotton cleaning apparatus, the

combination of a casing; rotary breakers for disintegrating the material; grates disposed above and beneath said rotary hreakers for separating the cotton from extraneous matter; means for creating suction for carrying the cotton thus separated; means for collecting and carrying off the extraneous matter; and means for collecting and carrying off tl separated cotton, substantially as described.

3. In a cotton cleaning apparatus, the combination of a casing; rotatable and stationary spikes for disintegrating the mate rial; grates disposed above and beneath said cooperating spikes for separating the cotton from extraneous matter; nieans for creating suction Within the casing for carrying the cotton thus separated; means for collecting and carrying off the extraneous matter; a rotatable drum for collecting the cleaned cotton within the casing; and a con-- veyer for carrying off the. cleaned cotton, substantially as described. i

4:. In a cotton cleaning apparatus, the combination of a casing; a plurality of rotary breakers for disintegrating the material; grates disposed above and beneath said rotary breakers for separating the cotton from extraneous matter; means for collecting and carrying off the extraneous matter; means for creating suction within the casing for carrying the cleaned cotton; a rotatable drum for collecting the cleaned cotton: a screen disposed beneath said rotatable drum for separating residual foreign mat tcr from il cotton: and a conveyor for carrying oil the collcctcd cleaned cotton, substantially as described.

."i. In a cotton cleaning apparatus, the

combination of a casing; a rotatable spiked drum mounted within said casing; station ary spikes disposed above and coiipcrable with said spiked drum to disintegrate the material; a second rotatable and spiked drum adapted to receive the material from the first-named drum; stationaryspikes disposed beneath and cooperating with said second spiked drum to further disintegrate said material; a third spiked and rotatable drum adapted to receive the material from said second spiked drum; a grate disposed above and in proximity to said spiked drums and adapted to permit of cotton passing therethrough; a grate disposed beneath the first and second named drums adapted to separate the disintegrated cotton from extrancous matter; means for collecting and carrying oli' said extraneous matter; a chamber for receiving the residue of material removed by the third spiked drum; and means for collecting and carrying oil the cotton, passing through the grate above said spiked drums substantially as described.

6. In a cotton cleaning apparatus, the combination ofa casing; rotary breakers for disintegrating the material in the asing; a grate for separating the cotton from extraneous matter; means for creating suction for 'arrying the separated cotton within said casing; a conveyor for carrying oil the cleaned cotton; an arcuate plate pivotally mounted adjacent the conveyor and adapted to collect and guide the cleaned C(JtYOXYlO the conveyor; a valve associated with said suction creating means for r gulating the degree of suction; and connet ions between said 'pivotally mouuicdplatc and said valve for actuating said valve through the pressure of material against said plate, substantially as described.

7. I11 a cotton cleaning apparatus, the combination of a casing; a rotatable and spiked drum journaled within said casing; stationary spikes mounted on a shaft and coiiperating with said spiked drum for disintegrating the material; a pinion on said shaft; a manually operated pinion meshing; 'with said shaft pinion for turning the sha l t to adjust said stationary spikes relatively to the spikes of said drum; means for scparat ingaml collecting extraneous matter From the disintegrated material; and means for lll'lOlrlAEs N. B'ROlVN.

W i l ncsscs:

A. D. Owens, lt. K. S'rswAirr. 

